Back To The Basics

Like many of you, I once struggled to understand how I could be increasing my energy level while not seeing much change in the mirror or scale. It definitely becomes an issue of nutrition, and I still see it every day and get asked all types of questions. "Is this healthy?" "What times should I eat?" "Salad is good, right?" ...the list goes on but you get the idea. I gladly respond to these questions with simple and complex answers, depending on the person I am talking to. But when it all comes down to it, we must understand the basics.

Currently as you may or may not know, I am studying intensely for the NASM Personal Trainer Exam. I have been outfitted with various study materials, but my main curriculum comes from the provided text, "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training". I am officially one-third of the way through, and am getting into the major training concepts. This morning I have been into the chapter about cardio training, and there was a special call-out in the text, and I want to share that with you here:

"...The only way (outside of surgery) one will lose weight or body fat is if one consumes less calories (food and drink) than one expends (activity). If an individual is exercising, but not losing weight, he or she is somehow, some way consuming more calories than he or she is expending."

Seems simple, and it really is. It is the Law of Thermodynamics, and it is important to come to the self-realization that every little bite adds up in the long run. There are different times advantageous to eat, etc, but the important thing to show yourself is what exactly your intake looks like by tracking your caloric intake and analyzing it, especially with your calories burned, which you can approximate via heart monitor when you are working out, and there are also many calculators available which will help you find out what your base metabolic rate is (which is what you burn in a day doing absolutely nothing). Click on the title to this link to visit my coach site and sign up for a free account at least. You will be on my team and have access to many tools including these calculators. Also, check out myfitnesspal.com where you can enter in your meals and find out where you are at so you can start burning more than you are taking in and get that body you want in time for summer! Thanks for reading everyone!